The Incredible Hulk #13Review

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What has Banner been up to all this time?

By Jesse Schedeen

The second act of Jason Aaron's Hulk saga saw Hulk bounce from one bizarre location to the next, all the while battling kooky enemies and struggling to understand what Banner was working to accomplish. It went on longer than it needed to, but finally we've arrived at the third and final leg of the series. If issue #13 is any indication, Hulk United will serve as a strong finish to an uneven run.

For the most part, issue #13 focuses on re-framing the events of Stay Angry from Banner's point of view. Aaron writes Banner's reaction to his "death" at Hulk's hands and his chaotic journey to develop his Hulk serum. My concern with this series all along has been that Aaron would push Banner so far down the path of villainy that the character might become irredeemable. This issue goes a long way towards fleshing out Banner's present state of mind and making his actions a little more understandable. And after the rampant craziness of the last arc, the more serious tone is a nice palate cleanser. That's not to say there aren't moments of frivolity. Aaron delivers a showdown between Banner and Doctor Doom that ranks among the best scenes of the series so far. Doom's bravado is as hilarious as ever. And the running gag of every Doom turning out to be a Doombot is a hoot.

Jefte Palo provides the artwork for this issue. His work really shines, thanks in large part to the colors of Frank Martin. Palo's normally thick, black lines and shadowy characters suddenly become more vibrant and superhero-y thanks to the coloring.

The end is in sight, and Aaron is showing every sign of finishing this series in stronger form than he opened it.

Jesse is a writer for IGN Comics and IGN Movies. He can't wait until he's old enough to feel ways about stuff. Follow Jesse on Twitter, or find him on IGN.